Whats the difference? I mean, people pay more for thicker "speaker" cables, then you look at this inside of the cabinet you're running into, and the wires coming from this puny 1/4in jack are the size of freakin spaghetti! So why pay so much for a cable as thick as my thumb when the wires in the jacks and cabinet are miniscule?
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Speaker Cable vs Instrument Cable
- Thread starter ShiftyShift
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Instrument cables are shielded for lower noise, and speaker cables are not. Speaker cable conductors are also much thicker than instrument cables, which allows them to carry much higher power.
The wires inside of a cabinet are usually 14ga or 12ga wire, which is about the same for most decent speaker cables. The speaker cables look thicker because you're wrapping two cables into a jacket of rubber...
The wires inside of a cabinet are usually 14ga or 12ga wire, which is about the same for most decent speaker cables. The speaker cables look thicker because you're wrapping two cables into a jacket of rubber...
Thats really about it. I always read warnings saying "Don't use an instrument cable", but WHY?
But in a small scale, they;re really basically the same thing.
But in a small scale, they;re really basically the same thing.
They are not the same thing.
The actual conductor within the cable is roughly the same size. Cabinet wiring might be 16 or 18ga, but it's still thicker than an instrument cable. Besides, if a cabinet is only rated for say 400w, you don't need to have huge internal wiring that can handle 2000w.
The capability of the cable is not directly related to its thickness. Some cheap cables have more vinyl on the outside to make them appear more substantial.
Same thing ? REALLY ?
Ever cut open an instrument cable ?
Yeah, that tiny, tiny piece of wire in the center is what would carry the positive (+) when connected as a speaker cable.
Ever notice that wire gets hot when high current is run through it ?
Would you want that plastice coating to melt, and cause a short that could destroy your amp ?
I'm not running a 2000 watt amp, guys. And sorry If my opinion was wrong, they work exactly the same in my situation. If I was running a giant line array, yeah, speaker cables would be better. But I'm not.
Still not a good idea.
If you want to continue doing it, don't complain when your amp lets out the magic smoke
It doesn't matter, they aren't designed (or able) to work as speaker cables for long. It isn't a matter of if, but when they will fail. It absolutely will happen at some point, especially if you keep using the same cable. Wire can only be cooked so many times before it fails, and every time you overheat the insulation, it gets thinner and more fragile.
They're literally just wires in rubber sleeves with 1/4 in connectors on the ends. The internal wire might be a bit thicker on one, and the other might have a bit of shielding. Not much difference at all.
In defining this discussion, knowing what size amp as well as knowing the length of run is important.
For example... I use an 18" run Canare 18 gauge Instrument Cable with Neutrik connectors to go between my Ampeg Micro VR amp and Ampeg AV210 cabs. That amp is less than 200 watts. For this application I believe it's all fine.
If I were to use the same cable and connectors, but use it for a GKRB1001 amp and (2) 410 cabs... something's going to melt.
For example... I use an 18" run Canare 18 gauge Instrument Cable with Neutrik connectors to go between my Ampeg Micro VR amp and Ampeg AV210 cabs. That amp is less than 200 watts. For this application I believe it's all fine.
If I were to use the same cable and connectors, but use it for a GKRB1001 amp and (2) 410 cabs... something's going to melt.
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